Stay Present
by idjitsandpie
Summary: Bruce/Darcy. Darcy is coherent enough to call Bruce when she's in trouble, but when he arrives it takes everything Bruce has not to let The Other Guy tear the man into a pile of limbs, the man who drugged her. But Darcy needs him more than he needs to get even.


**Warning: Drugging of a drink, discussion of assault (of what could have happened). There's no assault but the intentions are there.**

/

Darcy is a social being. So when she is invited to the after-party hosted by Tony Stark (not personally, no, he's much too busy for that) she is very excited to go. Originally she came because as a S.H.I.E.L.D employee she can now get into these sorts of things. But she never thought she would be invited to an after-party!

_Probably because of Bruce_, Darcy is quick to remind herself. Not that this is a bad thing, per se. But "the girl who is Bruce's girlfriend (wow how did _that_ happen)" isn't quite the label she'd pick for herself. She much prefers Darcy, Norse God Taser-er Extraordinaire.

Throughout the night she's been chatting with many people. A few faces stick out. An elderly women named Elaine who is apparently a donor to Stark Enterprises clean energy program and is very kind to Darcy. She compliments on her position and appears genuinely interested in what she does for a living. There's also a guy (she thinks his name is Michael? It was somewhat loud when he introduced himself) who keeps 'accidentally' bumping into her even though there are tons of people here. Darcy isn't so naive to think guy-who-is-probably-Michael isn't hitting on her but she does talk to him for a while so she has someone to talk to.

"Do you want to dance?" He asks her.

"No thank you." Darcy doesn't feel the need to add 'I have a boyfriend'. As far as she's concerned she doesn't need to give a reason as to why she doesn't want to dance.

"That's okay, I have two left feet anyway. I wouldn't want to put you in a leg cast."

"I'm not a dancer either," She says. "You don't get the coordination necessary from working in a lab."

"Are you a scientist?" The way he sounds surprised irks her slightly but Darcy is used to it. No one is going to peg her for scientist after all, not when she's as odd as she is.

"Political scientist."

"I'm not sure if I could deal with politics day in and day out," he says with a laugh.

She smiles. "I'm not allergic to bullshit so I can move around in the field pretty well."

The conversation eventually stops because Darcy has to go to the bathroom. When she comes back he's disappeared, which saddens her a bit. He was at least entertaining.

The after party is hosted at a very fancy hotel where even more expensive drinks are served and something which smells like fish is offered to her but it looks as though it's sentient so she politely passes.

Darcy is a bit lonely now. It's more obvious she's didn't come with anyone (Bruce isn't a party person his paranoia gets the best of him) and she searches around for an Avenger or Jane but she's alone. Her eyes scan the room when suddenly next to her is guy-who-is-probably-Michael. Its much quieter here so she can hear his voice which is soft and deep. He's very tall and his hair is neatly parted and brushed.

He smiles down at her. "Hey Darcy, glad to see you're here."

"Glad to be here," Darcy admits, though she's not sure why she's glad. "Nothings really going on here that's different from the other place. Except there's less people and I can walk three feet without poking a hole in a ladies dress."

"Except you get gift bags when you leave here. Very useful gift cards, things like that."

"I hope there's one in there for Starbucks. I've been running on it lately."

"Speaking of, I was about to get a drink. Would you like one?"

"Sure. Do they have non-alcoholic drinks?" Darcy doesn't want to get smashed tonight. Tomorrow her and Bruce are supposed to go on a date and having a hangover in the middle of lunch isn't a pleasant experience. She should know, she's had to do it.

"I'm sure they do. Just a moment I have to go to the bathroom and then I'll bring you something."

Before Darcy can say anything he's headed to the opposite side of the large room. She's about to get her own drink when she feels her phone buzzing in her pocket. Turns out to be a text from Jane saying she hopes Darcy is having a good time and she regrets not coming because the office is very boring tonight. Darcy responds with a laughing smiley.

Very quickly he's back holding a cup of fruit punch and a small glass of whiskey for himself. Darcy sips at the punch over the course of the next ten minutes until almost half of it is gone. At this point she's near a table of desserts, it's placed right next to the entrance of the room, and goes to set her cup down. Darcy is so sure she was setting it on the table but she somehow misses, it falling onto the floor.

Usually her immediate reaction would have been to make a joke to anyone nearby about gravity has beaten her once again but when she opens her mouth it feels dry. Her mind sluggishly wonders why the table wasn't where she thought it was. Darcy thinks she might need new glasses because she's seeing doubles of the table. What looked like the double is the original table so she grasps onto that.

_I've eaten today. Not in the lab so I've eaten I know I've eaten . . . eaten dinner._

"Darcy, it's okay," whispers the man from before. Michael.

Things click together for her at that moment.

She shakes his hand off of her shoulder and refuses to look at him. She's slowly losing control of her motor skills, a horribly frightening experience. Darcy is only focused on her phone, holding it shakily in her sweaty palm, as she goes through her contact list. She knows exactly where Bruce is in her phone because he's the only text in green (it makes her and Clint laugh, okay?).

He picks up on the second ring. "It's late, I thought you would be back to your apartment by now." Bruce has never really been for formalities on the phone. The only reason he has a cell phone is because Darcy badgered him.

Her vowels are elongated and she tries to pull them back but it still comes out as, "Bruuuu-uuuuce."

"Darcy? Are you drunk?" Bruce sounds amused.

"Nooo, doon't, knooow-"

Suddenly things aren't so amusing any more. "Darcy, where are you? Are you okay?"

"The Marrrk."

His voice is tense as he tells her, "I'll be there shortly. Stay where you are."

Darcy hangs up and is now leaning full on the table. The hand on her shoulder is back and she looks up at him.

He's smiling.

"Whaaat did-"

"Shhh, it's okay. You're drunk."

"No, not. _Not_."

Darcy knows in her mind he's the cause of this. She feels guilt in the pit of her stomach. How could she have taken the drink from a complete stranger? But it's not as though he's at all threatening. While she was a little bored at these parties she wasn't uneasy. She felt safe. He lulled her into a sense of security.

How could this have happened.

Darcy looks up to see if there is anyone paying attention but most of the party goers are watching the large flat screen TV. She can't discern what's happening on the television but she wants to shout "Look at me!" so someone can save her.

"Go 'way," She hisses at Michael. She wishes she had her taser.

"C'mon. I'll get a room and you can go to sleep. You obviously need to pass out somewhere." Michael tries to guide her body away from the table but Darcy has none of it.

A server notices this alarming dynamic and comes over. "Is everything alright?"

"Heeee-"

"She's had a bit too much to drink," Michael responds, flashing a winning smile. "I was going to get her a hotel room so she can recover until morning."

"Ma'am, are you going to be okay?" He tries to make eye contact with her. Darcy has her eyes squeezed tight. There are too many colors swirling.

"Let me handle it."

Darcy's eyes fly open - which is a dumb thing to do - and she's looking up into the face of Tony Stark. Next to him stands Pepper, arms crossed and her eyes burning bright with anger.

"Hi, Michael! Thanks for coming," Tony says, his tone overly friendly, holding out his hand which the other man warily shakes. "I see you're having trouble with this young lady. Whats happened?"

Pepper moves protectively between Darcy and Michael, putting her arms around the younger woman's torso to help her stand up.

"I think shes had too much to drink. I was only trying to help but if you're her friends-"

"Yes, better friends than you would have been. I'm pretty sure if we tested her a certain drug would show up in her system that would cement you as a pretty awful friend." A thick layer of threat is growing underneath Tony's exceedingly affable tone.

Darcy is trying not to pay attention to what is happening around her. All she wants to do is sleep. She thinks she hears the word "police" and that jolts her into a somewhat aware state.

What truly brings her close to the surface is the sound of Bruce.

"What's going on." His voice. Barely contained anger.

Oh no, oh _no_.

"Bruce we've got it under control," Tony says, clearly trying to sate his rage.

"Is she hurt?" Bruce still isn't looking at Michael who is now sweating profusely.

Pepper answers him. "Not from what I can see."

Green flashes in his eyes as soon as he looks at the offender. He wants to threaten directly but he knows as soon as the threat leaves his mouth The Other Guy will want to act on it.

Calm down. _Calm down_.

"Bruuce," Darcy manages to say. She's drifting in and out. "T'red . . . "

His breathing is still heavy and there's an alarming tightness in his body language still remaining.

"Bruce, please," she continues. She reaches out for him but her arm doesn't really follow through. "St' calm. Calm."

His eyes dart between her and everyone standing close to him. Tony and Pepper are in positions to run and his heart is beating so fast he can almost hear it pounding his ears. His blood is rushing through his veins and he wants to murder the one who's done this to her. Bruce will kill him if the mans touched her.

"'Uce, st' with me. _Please_."

It's the last pleading syllable which centers his attention on her.

He can't lose control over this. Darcy needs him. Now is not the time. Her safety is more important than his revenge.

"Get him out of here," Bruce orders Tony, his hands bunched into fists at his sides.

Instead he chooses to focus his attention on Darcy who is going limp. He can tell the affects of the drug is starting to kick fully in and she's going to go unconscious soon. But Bruce keeps reminding himself she's safe now, she is going to continue to be safe, and he's going to make sure she will always be safe.

"Darcy, you can go to sleep now. It's okay," Bruce warmly says, taking Peppers spot in holding her up. His hands grip tightly around her middle, holding her close.

Her head droops onto his chest and from her point of view, as she's losing consciousness completely, she hears a heart beating quickly. But before she slips into the realm of sedation it's slowed down into a more even pace.

Calmer.

Bruce doesn't have much trouble picking her up with one arm looped beneath her back and one underneath her knees. She appears as though she's sleeping.

When Bruce passes by Michael, who is being watched by a couple of Tony's men, he swears he hears a guttural growl. He's probably hearing things but it chills him right to his bones.

/

Darcy's first instinct is to lash out. She's not sure as to why, her mind isn't quite awake enough yet, but in her subconscious she is screaming to fight. Yell. Kick.

"Darcy, Darcy! Woah."

She stops as soon as she recognizes the voice. Quickly snapped out of the filmy sluggishness she focuses her gaze on Bruce who stands at the end of the bed with both hands held up in surrender.

"You recognize me right?"

She gives an airy laugh. "Of course. Can't forget the face that brought me decaf coffee twice in a row because he was so nervous to talk to me."

Bruce smiles. "I heard about you tasing Thor so I had reason to be nervous."

It takes a moment for her to realize where she is. Bruce's room in Stark Tower. It's barren really - there are more text books than personal possessions - but the thought of 'why am I here?' ultimately leads her to think of last night. Was it last night? It had to have been.

"Bruce." Darcy can't really think of anything else to say. How can she explain last night?

He circles to her side of the bed and sits next to her. He nervously wrings his hands in his lap. "As soon as you called I gave Tony a ring. Or five. Told him to find you at the party because I didn't know if I would get there in time to help you. You sounded like you were heavily medicated and-" Bruce takes in a deep breath. "I'm told nothing happened, that he and Pepper got there in time. Do you remember anything?"

Darcy can tell from the look in his eyes it pains him to ask this. Not because he'll be ashamed of her, no, he's not the kind of guy to think assault is ever warranted. But because it could be a reality and he doesn't want it to be, for her sake.

"No. Nothing happened. I vaguely remember Tony and Pepper being there when I was trying to get him to leave me alone. He was saying something about a room . . . " She watches his reaction as his hands clasp each other. He stares at the floor. "It never got that far."

"Are you telling me that so the Other Guy doesn't go on a rampage?"

This has been a crux in their relationship to be honest. Bruce constantly doubts any one will tell him things potentially very upsetting. But she knows he won't turn into the Green Guy when she needs him at her side. He has better control than that. Last night is proof enough.

"No. They stopped him. Bruce, thank you so much for getting them there, I could have-" She stops herself. Darcy brings her knees up to chest and sets her forehead on them. She can't look at him right now. "I can't believe I took a drink from a stranger at a party. It's practically How To Party 101 not to do that. I'm so stupid."

"It's not your fault for something he chose to do. If it hadn't of been you it would have been some other woman."

"He chose a shitty woman to drug. I can't imagine he thought his night would include Iron Man and the Hulk." She picks up her head and gives him a tired smile. "Do you think we can still go out to lunch? I don't want to lie here and think about it."

"Are you telling me you don't want to read about Chrysotile with me?"

"As romantic as that sounds I think I'd rather stare down a huge slice of cake before I devour it."

Bruce chuckles. "That sounds much more romantic."

Darcy leans over and sets her head on his shoulder. He can smell the scent of her peach shampoo and its one of the most placating things he has. And for Darcy there's a strong sense of security as he adjusts her to lie her head on his chest for a few moments, his arms around her shoulders, and she knows as long as she right here she is truly, one hundred percent safe.


End file.
